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pow

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Everything posted by pow

  1. pow
    This is the first generation of Leaf. The ICE has been refined over a hundred years. I wouldn't be surprised if the next generation Leaf gets double the range and costs half as much. This is only the very beginning, and there's lot of room for the technology to grow.
  2. pow
    A well done review from C&D by their contributing editor (former editor-in-chief) Csabe Csere: Saw my third Model S on the streets today, this time in black. It appears they are finally reaching consumers' hands, and I wish them success as they continue with the roll-out. Such a groundbreaking car in many ways.
  3. pow
    Volt sales are picking up. They're even higher than August's record numbers, despite the fact that the residual went down resulting in a ~$50/per month higher lease payment.
  4. pow
    Saw my second Model S driving on the streets. Looks amazing in silver with the 21" wheels. The late Saab 9-5 Aero, which drove by shortly after, looks positively frumpy in comparison, even with similar turbine-styled alloys.
  5. pow
    I test drove one a few months back and was really impressed by it. It's definitely not my sort of car--it's too big, bland, and mainstream--but its practicality, efficiency, and functionality are undeniable. It's the sort of car I'd recommend to my parents. The CVT does an excellent job keeping the revs low around town. The seats are heavenly. It's got a ton of space, apart from rear headroom.
  6. pow
    That's a lot of money for a taller fancy Sonic.
  7. pow
    I'm pleasantly surprised by the Spark. The changes they made for 2013 are quite an improvement, almost making it resemble a chic European city car. I wouldn't mind having a few parked in my neighborhood to borrow or, if made autonomous, to ride around in for cross-town trips. Not sure if I'd own a Spark, but I could see myself using one.
  8. pow
    Hm, for $50K I'd get a base Model S instead. But ELR has the potential to be something truly great if Cadillac tries hard enough. The concept had supercar proportions (almost Gallardo-like). If they make the production model a very style-conscious, "boutique" car like the Range Rover Evoque, where it's expensive not because of its mechanicals but rather its exclusivity, features, and design, they could be on to something.
  9. pow
    The Volt is a no-brainer for most consumers; it's let down by the lack of marketing. 76% residual on a 2-year/20K mile lease, 1% interest rate, and cap cost reduction from Ally means dealers here are offering them for $240/mo with $1,500 drive-off. My folks considered leasing one, because they currently spend $240/mo on gas alone, but ultimately they couldn't get used to the poor rearward visibility.
  10. pow
    I test drove a Dart Multiair 1.4T 6M a couple days ago. The majority of the vehicles on the lot had a manual transmission. It's a stylish looking car, but the powertrain really lets it down. Tons of turbo lag, lots of accessory noise from the engine compartment, weird feeling clutch, overly touchy brakes, and sloppy shifter. No rear seat headroom, either.
  11. pow
    Sounds like a great deal. For $20K, you could also get a CPO '08 Odyssey EX with a few more goodies (tinted windows, alloys, power doors, etc.) Woah, Dodge charges $995 for destination, so that's becomes $21,990. But then I'm sure there are incentives to offset that.
  12. pow
    I drove a Focus ST3 yesterday, which was $28K with full-leather Recaros, HIDs, and navigation. Granted it likely targets a different demographic than the Verano Turbo, but it still had a compliant ride, very comfy seats, and was an absolute blast to drive. It's refined yet very sporting at the same time, kinda like an M3. If I wanted to spend ~$30K for a practical performance daily driver, that would be the car I'd get!
  13. pow
    LOL $30K.
  14. pow
    No rear seat legroom, poor outward visibility, overstuffed seats, intrusive footwells, 400 lbs overweight, numb steering, wallowy suspension, and whiny engines... of course it won't sell for a premium. One journalist from Fortune called the 2013 Malibu one of the most disappointing new vehicles he has ever driven. Oh, and it's fugly, too, with massive overhangs, awkward rear tail lights, and a weird interior. The new Impala, on the other hand, is a looker... shame that it's equally space inefficient.
  15. pow
    Congrats!
  16. pow
    U.S. Golf and Jetta TDIs are 50-state compliant and don't require urea. They utilize a NOx storage catalyst that temporarily stores the emissions, until they can be burned off during one of the engine cycles. But the downside to that is reduced efficiency. Passat TDI uses AdBlue, which allows it to have even lower NOx and better MPG, despite being a heavier vehicle. You can buy generic diesel exhaust fluid and refilling it isn't much worse than, say, washer fluid.
  17. pow
    Hmm, so would this be the first longitudinal fitment of the 2.0 EcoBoost?
  18. pow
    SEL models get nav with the bigger touch-screen.
  19. pow
    $700 off a Cruze? Prices alone aren't going to get folks into showrooms.
  20. pow
    I'd much rather have the awesome new A-class. Pardon the cheese, but a nice video showcasing the car (and LA): http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nRRb7wPnzm8
  21. pow
    Yup, around here, there are $4,750 in incentives for Fusion plus an additional $500 college grad/private offer/military rebate. Average transaction prices for Focus are going up. Ford says 1-in-4 new Focus buyers have household incomes of over $100K. I don't have the data with me, but considering Focus incentives here are $1,500, comparably equipped Fusions are likely going for the same price. Volume is nice, but at the end of the day, profitability is what matters, and Ford's upmarket approach certainly helps with that. It builds the brand's image as well.
  22. pow
    Whoa. Lol. Easy there, folks. But just to be factual, the EPA's test cycle for range and MPGe have been accurate and are rather conservative. It gets 265 miles and 89 MPGe under the 5-cycle test, which includes A/C usage, ambient temperatures from 20F to 95F, brisk acceleration, and high speeds. Energy regeneration. Actually, a cool thing about Model S is that the brake pedal itself is purely friction braking; no blending of regen and friction like on a hybrid. Regeneration is triggered when you get off the accelerator, and effectively it acts like "engine braking." This allows for one-pedal driving in normal driving. Gasoline vehicles converted into EVs tend to have a lot of compromises. This is a clean sheet design that avoids current EV downfalls.
  23. pow
    Model S is RWD; the motor (AC induction, so no rare-earth materials) rests between the rear wheels. Very compact. The 85-kWh battery on the top model is 4" thick, and it's a flat slab mounted as part of the floor, making the chassis very stiff. It also lowers the center of gravity to that of a Ford GT's (the chassis, incidentally, was done by the same person who engineered that supercar). The flat battery, along with other aero tricks, gives Model S the lowest drag coefficient of any production vehicle on sale. Only 15% of a BEV's life-cycle environmental harm comes from the battery. It's the operation, whether gasoline or electric, that makes up the majority of a vehicle's impact: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es903729a Oh, and did I mention in Performance trim, it does 0-60 in 4.4 seconds?
  24. pow
    Plenty of advantages as well: Lower center of gravity Battery provides for additional structural rigidity More space for passengers and cargo (no exhaust, driveshaft, bulky engine and transmission, etc.) Instant torque Lower NVH Zero tailpipe emissions Greater efficiency Less maintenance
  25. pow
    Maximum range for a CNG Civic is 248 miles, and its trunk is tiny. Model S can go further and has two trunks, one of which is ginormous. Model S can be charged anywhere there is a plug, whereas with a CNG car, you must go out of your way to find a fueling station. Best of all, you can recharge Model S at home and never waste time at a gas station.
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